X-Men Legends was one of the best superhero games I've ever played. I love the gameplay, story, mutant powers, and more. The single-player game was fun, but I really enjoyed playing it cooperatively. The experience reminded me of a mutated version of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. It was fast action infused with RPG elements and a Marvel storyline. The follow up to this game, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, has me really excited. Not only will you get to play as the X-Men, but you'll also get to team up with some of the members of The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Best of all, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of this game can be enjoyed online.

Like the original, you control a team of four. There will be at least 16 characters available in the game. The characters I got to see so far are Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine, Bishop (new!), Storm, Nightcrawler, and Juggernaut. I also got to see some non-player characters such as Angel and Blink. It wasn't clear if either would be playable at some point in the game, but fans of the comics will put two and two together to realize that Angel won't be the fair-feathered playboy for much longer. That's right fanboys, just like in the comics, Warren Worthington III gets abducted by Apocalypse and transformed into the menacing Archangel. Whether or not he'll remain a baddie by the end of the game remains to be seen.

The interface has been greatly streamlined, allowing you to automate several features such a leveling up and item equipping. This is great for mainstream players that don't care to mix and match items and manipulate various skills. More importantly, it allows the gameplay to be seamless; you won't have to pause for five to 10 minutes to wait for your companion to level up and accessorize. Of course you're still able to do that if you care to. The smoother interface is a boon for mainstream gamers and cooperative players.


Even though it's easier to use, the interface is also more flexible. You won't be limited to four mutant attacks. It will be much easier to toggle through your various powers this time around. This makes powers a bit more useful since you'll be able to call upon a needed power with a few deft presses.

Another new feature of the game is the multiple headquarters. In the first game, Professor Xavier's mansion was the main hub. In Rise of Apocalypse there will be five headquarters, each with its own non-player characters. I'm psyched to see who the supporting cast of this game will be.

X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse looks like a great successor to the original. The action and character building are still there, but this time it's more accessible. You'll have more characters and more powers to choose from. And since good mutants and bad mutants alike will be going up against the powerful Apocalypse, you can expect the story to be epic.